Workshop in Ohrid/Macedonia, 5-7 September 2012

25 September 2012: The fifth workshop within the ISCOS/CISL and ITUC/PERC European Project on “ Strengthening working women capacities and networking in the Western Balkans” took place in Ohrid/Macedonia from 5 to 7 September . The main project objectives follow the decisions taken by the PERC Women’s Committee as concerns their program and action plan: strengthening the national level trade union women’s committees and networks and their capacity to produce equality plans on national level; to influence state institutions, governments policies and trade union policies; developing expertise and professional analytic skills to identify strategies and develop initiatives; developing and improving strategies and methods regarding empowerment of women’s negotiating skills for collective bargaining and social dialogue; producing materials to raise awareness among wider audience about the need for a more balanced representation of decision making positions; networking and campaigning on identified priority issues for the region ( promoting equal treatment; fighting discrimination) and increase understanding on EU affairs and the accession process.

The workshop consisted of presentations on the three main themes to be developed by the project: EU integration process and gender aspects; strategic planning and campaigning made by the Project Manager Lorenza Lo Sasso/ISCOS, Enisa Salimovic/ITUC-PERC Sarajevo office and Samra Kovacevic. The presentations were followed by debates and workshops which brought concrete ideas and action to be developed as concerns more involvement of women in trade union work, fighting against the existing barriers, elaboration of strategic planning and policy documents , campaigning and networking to implement the priorities in the action plan. Special attention has been given to collaboration with other existing networks dealing with gender issues. The participants stressed the necessity of more activeness and coordination for attracting more women in trade unions and young people and fighting against mobbing at the workplace.

The next activity in the project will be the Regional Conference in Skopje on 29-30 October , which will gather all partners in the project.